


Heartwright

by silverwolf_fox



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alpha Lucci, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, M/M, Omega Sabo, Omega Verse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Water 7
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:35:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28657323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverwolf_fox/pseuds/silverwolf_fox
Summary: Walking into his father’s study to see his parents smiling at him set off every alarm bell ringing within Sabo’s mind. A letter was thrust into his hands with a demand to read its contents. He glanced over it with a furrowed brow, freezing when he realized it was from the A/O Matchup Program.“We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a mate by Alpha Rob Lucci.”OrAfter being matched through a government program, Sabo is sent to Water 7 to help legitimize the undercover alias of a CP9 agent.
Relationships: Rob Lucci/Sabo
Comments: 40
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

Each morning was clockwork.

_ 6:30am : Wake up and make himself presentable _

_ 6:45am : Breakfast _

_7:00am : Business lessons_ _  
_ _-Mathematics_ _  
__-Language_ _  
__-History_

_ 11:00am : Study _

_ 11:30am : Lunch _

_12:30pm : Omega lessons_ _  
__-Proper nesting techniques_ _  
__-Biology_ _  
__-Recognizing pheromones and the moods they represent_ _  
__-Proper submissive behavior_ _  
__-Appropriate etiquette for public and private situations_

_ 4:00pm : Bathe _

_ 5:00pm : Study _

_ 7:00pm : Family dinner _

_ 9:30pm : Study _

_ 10:30pm : Bedtime _

And then repeat.

Orange light from the rising dawn colored Sabo’s room, exaggerating the bars on his windows into massive silhouettes across the wall, but he stopped paying heed to those many years ago. He pulled on his white elbow length gloves, his cravat, and plain brown coat, passing a critical eye over himself in the mirror to ensure that not a single glance of skin could be seen. Then he brushed his long golden hair until the natural waves became a flawless waterfall spilling over his shoulder to artfully shield the hideous scars that marred the left side of his face. He knew he’d been caught in an explosion caused by a Celestial Dragon, but he’d lost all his memories and only knew that he had done something wrong and carried the marks of that mistake. The flesh had lightened to a shiny pink in the years since the incident and was smooth in appearance but rough to the touch. It marbled the entire left side of his body, and he wasn’t allowed to leave his room if a single centimeter was visible.

Completing the look with a top hat that helped keep his hair in place, Sabo left his room and was sitting down at the empty dining table just as the clock ticked a quarter to seven, in perfect time with his schedule. Breakfast was taken alone except for the maid standing by the door, serving platter held against her chest, to ensure he ate every bite. Not that she needed to. He ceased starving himself once his mother decided to punish whichever staff member served him for failing in their duties and certainly not because she knew he cared more for them than himself.

After finishing breakfast with nary a crumb left to invite criticism, he attended to his morning lessons. His tutor was already waiting for him, and Sabo worriedly glanced at the clock and had to withhold a sigh of relief - public expressions of emotions didn’t befit proper nobility - that he was in fact a minute early. They were in one of the spare offices far from where his step-brother had his own lessons. When Stelly had presented as a beta, it had all but cemented his place as the successor even without taking into consideration the disdain their parents treated Sabo with. Though not an alpha, a beta was far preferable in business to an omega who the nobles believed were meant to be housewives and arm decoration. The only reason Sabo still met with a tutor was because his family didn’t want an uneducated fool to cast a black mark on their reputation.

Impressing his tutor had never been difficult, but he had to be careful not to do too well lest he outshine the future head of house for it would be seen as such an embarrassment if the eldest child, passed over as heir even before he presented, was remarked as more exceptional than the younger. The study break he had afterwards was used more to work on the things that he isn’t supposed to know, advanced topics that would send his tutor running for his parents if he had any idea Sabo was reading about them. This one little rebellion, secret and his alone, was one of the few ways he tried to survive the iron grip his parents held on his life. 

Lunch was earlier for him than the rest of his family so they could continue to pretend he was nothing more than a ghost traversing their halls, but after that was by far the worst part of his day. Once a young noble presented as an omega, it was commonplace for a specialized instructor to be hired to teach how to be a good and proper omega in order to satisfy the alpha they will one day mate. However, their number one rule is to ignore instincts. When building a nest, there are approved fabrics that should be placed just so in a variety of established patterns that have been deemed aesthetically pleasing for the alpha, after all an omega shouldn’t want to shame their mate with a messy nest.

Everything was about pleasing the alpha. Sabo has had to practice tilting his head at the exact angle to show appropriate levels of submission until his neck cricked as well as relearn manners and behaviors more suitable towards the omega of a noble alpha that will allow them satisfy the impossible dichotomy of being both eye-catching but not attention drawing. During his first lesson after presenting, Sabo couldn’t help but question it, and the stern-eyed tutor explained that it meant any omega of high class should be able to attract the attention of possible business partners or royalty and then have that attention immediately slide away to their alpha.

At 2:43pm the clockwork broke.

Sabo was summoned by his father which alone rarely meant anything good, but for it to be deemed important enough to disrupt his lessons could only herald dreadful tidings. Nervous thoughts sped through his mind, all the terrible things he could have done or been blamed for that would give them the excuse to tear away the few precious freedoms he still had left. Stopping briefly by a large gold filigree mirror in the foyer to make sure the left half of his face was still hidden per expectations with not a hair out of place, he made quick steps to his father’s study. He rapped on the door and announced himself, waiting for permission to enter before entering.

Opening the door to see his parents smiling at him set off every alarm bell ringing within Sabo’s mind. It was surprising to see his mother in there, standing beside his father who sat at his desk with an open letter in his hands.

“You wished to see me, father?” Sabo said, walking closer but keeping a respectful distance without even a second of considering taking a seat in one of the plush chairs reserved for business meetings. 

“I did. Do try not to take so long next time.” The scolding only had half the usual vitriol behind it which spoke a lot to how happy his father must be about something, and Sabo hid his wince and took it without any complaint. Instead of an explanation, he was handed the letter with a demand to read its contents.

He glanced over it with a furrowed brow, freezing when he realized it was from the A/O Matchup Program, a system established by the World Government meant to pair together compatible alphas and omegas across all the Blues. His parents had demanded he take part since he would have no luck attracting a high standing alpha on his own, and so the moment Sabo became eligible on his eighteenth birthday, the family physician took a blood sample and had him scent a towel to send in for review. Three months had passed since mailing the application, and a part of him assumed - desperately hoped - that he’d been rejected out of hand due to the attached photo that required him to reveal the scorched flesh he’d hoped to hide.

“Your results have come in,” congratulated his mother. “You’ve finally done something right!”

With his heart lodged in his throat, Sabo couldn’t answer and instead focused on each word he read, wishing that he could change them.

_ Name: Outlook Sabo _ _   
_ _ Class: Omega _

_ Congratulations on your selection within the A/O Matchup Program! _

_ After we received your initial submission with the components required for a successful mate selection, we were able to review your situation and biology with the speed befitting your family’s station. We thank you for participating in our program and are happy to tell you that after we tested and filed your submission, we were able to send it on to a selection of alphas chosen to suit your specific criteria. Your blood and scent samples will stay in our collection in case they are necessary for any further steps.  _

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a mate by Alpha Rob Lucci. He will be contacting your family to arrange your transfer of custody to your new alpha promptly.  _

_ Sincerely,  
_ _ The A/O Matchup Program _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV switching is not gonna be commonplace. I just thought it'd be nice to show a brief look at how Lucci got involved in this.

Days at the shipping yard were long and hard. Physically demanding in a way that, though not to the point of difficulty for someone with Lucci’s training, left him ready to relax with a good book and a hard drink. The walk to his apartment was peaceful - the people of Water 7 truly were an unusually friendly breed - and he would give the occasional wave to keep up his friendly shipwright persona. Hattori as well, from his comfortable perch on Lucci’s shoulder, would raise a wing in salutations.

Even after three years, there was no stirring in Lucci’s soul as his eyes scanned the objectively beautiful landscape. It was simply the place of his current job; a job which was about to get more complicated.

Unlike his fellow members of CP9, Lucci had never been considered the most personable. While he can put forth a friendly show, he’d always preferred keeping his distance from others, and though this would in no way affect his performance during the undercover mission, Spandam decided such an eligible alpha should have an omega to avoid suspicion.

It would be funny if it didn’t make Lucci want to claw off the rest of the man’s face off.

Nevertheless, he would follow his orders.

He stopped by the market for fresh produce before making his way to the apartment. Kept clean to the point it seemed no one lived there, the one bedroom apartment was simple, but then Lucci was rarely one for extravagance. After putting away the groceries, Hattori flew to one of his perches while Lucci ran a hot shower to wash the sweat from his skin.

Comfortably dressed in loose black pants and a soft shirt, he pulled his hair back from his face and started dinner. While it cooked, he pulled out a mortar and pestle to grind together a mixture of grains and seeds for Hattori, adding in dried raisins to spoil his feathered friend.

Once they’d both eaten, Lucci poured himself a glass of his favorite cognac - one of the few things he bothered to splurge on - and took a seat on his couch, stretching his legs out across the length of it. Hattori joined him, perching on his shoulder, and Lucci smiled when the pigeon leaned close to brush against his cheek. A thick folder had been delivered to him earlier that week and, settled in for the night with his drink, it was about time he finally opened it.

He wasn’t surprised that it was a set of choices from the A/O Matchup Program his shipwright alias had been submitted into. Taking a sip of brandy, enjoying the smooth burn down his throat, he propped the stack of papers against one knee and started flipping through them.

Each one was worse than the last.

Though his own profile described him as a shipwright in Water 7 - in fact that was about all it said, even bereft of a photo due to his undercover work - the World Government saw fit that his matches were worthy of his actual credentials. However, this left him with a selection of nobles that had him frowning.

Dolls. They were all pretty, weak dolls, some not even appearing old enough to have legally submitted an application into the program. Lucci grew more and more impatient with each one he read through. He’d be stuck with whatever omega he chose until the job was done, so it’d be best if he could find at least one he wouldn’t have the urge to kill every day.

Lucci sipped his brandy and turned another page, pausing in unexpected pleasure. Large round eyes, one dark and the other cloudy white, carrying a sadness unlike any noble he’d ever seen framed by golden hair raining down past his shoulders.

The most striking feature, however, were the harsh scars spanning the left side of his face. Lucci could only wonder at the potential cause of such extensive burns, but they spoke of an omega far more interesting than the frail types normally found within high society. A firstborn denied the opportunity to inherit the father’s company; it was, perhaps mistakenly, alluded that this occurred before his secondary gender was revealed which spoke to either incompetence or rebellion, and Lucci was willing to bet on the latter.

Tilting his head and slowly swirling the drink in his glass, he purred, “Sabo.”


	3. Chapter 3

Three weeks went by, and Sabo never heard anything more about his matchup. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought they ultimately rejected the offer, but a casual remark at dinner one night - one where they actually spoke to him - confirmed how fortunate they thought it was that someone would want him, even if it was just a shipwright.

Which made two things that Sabo knew about this alpha: he worked as a shipbuilder and his name was Rob Lucci.

The name had been spinning around in his mind ever since he read the letter, without rest and without a face to pair it to. When he’d tentatively asked his parents to see the alpha’s profile, they had brushed him aside saying there was no need for him to concern himself with the details and that there was no picture attached to the file. Worry over the unknown man gripped Sabo’s heart, but he did as his parents instructed and focused on his studies.

Once his selection letter came in, his normal classes were dropped, and his day was back-to-back lessons on behaving like a proper omega, with basics regarding cooking and cleaning added in since his future mate’s occupation most likely didn’t allow for servants.

For all that Sabo disliked being reminded to ignore his instincts and choose between pillows because a proper nest only had two, three if they were small - “Where is your alpha supposed to lie if you’re surrounded on all sides by pillows!” - remaining in the study would have been preferable to the sudden shopping trip his mother brought him on.

Didit had stopped him on his way to his first lesson and said he’d be going with her into town. His confusion only mounted when she said it was to get him a tailored outfit and a few more things that would be more appealing than the cheap neutral tones they’ve always clothed him in. She scolded him when he made the mistake of voicing his curiosity - he immediately ducked his head abashedly - but informed him that his alpha would be arriving within the week, and they couldn’t have Sabo looking so shabby and embarrass them.

Sabo’s heart froze and he stopped walking for a brief second before he forced himself to move before his mother noticed. He clenched his hand into a fist in a hapless attempt to keep from trembling.

It shouldn't be surprising.

It wasn't, really, to learn that his parents took it upon themselves to take care of all the negotiations without consulting him, but hardly a week's notice before meeting the man he'd be expected to mate with was blindsiding. Everything suddenly felt real, and he felt the air rush from his lungs at the realization that soon, sooner than he ever allowed himself to consider, he'd have an alpha. A mate. Someone who his life would belong to.

No, Sabo forced himself to take a deep breath. This would only be the initial meeting, and he hadn't officially accepted anything. Knowing that he could still reject him if unsure gave Sabo enough temporary relief to follow his mother into a nearby clothing store.

The moment Didit crossed the threshold, one of the assistants was there asking how she could be helped. She waved Sabo forward.

"My son has recently matched his alpha. He needs something proper for their first meeting."

"But of course!" the assistant said loudly before giving Sabo a lookover. "Something blue, I think, to bring out his eyes, and perhaps we can do something with that gorgeous hair of his." She reached out, but Sabo reacted quickly and grabbed her wrist before she could brush aside the golden shield hiding his scars and blinded eye.

She gasped, and he could feel the heat of his mother's disapproving stare. Desperate to rectify the situation, he dropped his gaze and forced an expression of apology.

"Please forgive me," he pleaded quietly. "I'm just...I'm very shy." His voice ended in a hush with his head in the calculated tilt of perfect omega submission which had the added benefit of his hair falling even more into his face to aid his lie. It worked, and the woman's face softened.

"Of course, sweetie,” she softly cooed. He resisted the urge to cringe at the endearment and more so when she released pheromones meant to calm him as if he were acting out in hysterics. Every other omega he’d ever met were treated the same way. 

The woman introduced herself as Annette and grabbed Sabo’s elbow - gently but with an alpha’s sense of entitlement all the same - to lead him towards the back to a private room that had a small dais in front of a set of angled mirrors. Though alphas had the right to their omega’s bodies, it was considered very improper for an unmated omega to be seen unclothed by unrelated people, so he was only expected to remove his overcoat for an initial measuring. Thankfully his long sleeve shirt, gloves, and hair were enough to keep Annette from noticing his flaws as she wrapped the measuring tape around his chest.

She fetched several suit coats to try, hanging them up on the wall rack. With each one he tried on, Annette would adjust it even when it was already hanging straight, then step back and ask him what he thought.

It was just a formality since they both knew whose opinion actually mattered. Sabo would search out his mother’s face in the mirror and wait until she gave an approving nod or rejecting frown and then tailored his response to match.

By the end, they’d only chosen a single set that met Didit’s approval before returning straight home where the suit would be delivered after a few final alterations. 

There was nothing left to do but wait.

Sabo continued his classes, tried on his new suit when it arrived, and anxiously waited, unsure of which day would be the one where the mysterious Rob Lucci knocked on their door.

The morning it happened, Sabo was in the middle of breakfast when a servant interrupted him to relay his parents’ order for him to get ready. His stomach twisted, and he didn’t think he’d be able to finish eating even if he hadn't been told to leave it. He was accompanied upstairs but given privacy to change into his pre-approved outfit. The azure waistcoat did its job wonderfully to bring out the shades of blue hidden in his stormy right eye while the morbid black of the jacket and pants reflected his mood a bit too well.

Waiting outside his door was the servant girl who herded him back inside to touch up his face, painting his lips with a pale gloss and lining his eyes with black pencil. Sabo pretended not to notice when she brushed aside his hair and cringed away from the scars. She finished by brushing his hair to get rid of any unseemly waves and restyling it to once again cover the ugly side of his face, and then escorted him downstairs. With every step, he tried not to breathe, knowing that at any moment he would be able to smell _him_. 

It was customary for matches to meet for the first time in the omega’s home to give them a sense of security, safety in the face of an alpha’s overwhelming presence. Unfortunately, Sabo drew no comfort from his parents’ home. He fidgeted on the loveseat he’d been led to, placed just so, so that it was in easy sight of the entrance for his apparent future alpha to see as soon as entering the house. He’d have preferred the armchair, where there wouldn’t have been room enough beside him for the stranger he was being offered to. This particular seating arrangement was one he was sure his father had planned since he and Didit were occupying the remaining seats, leaving only the spot next to Sabo open. 

Normally that business would be conducted in the study, but his father had shamelessly admitted that he didn’t want a low class shipwright dirtying up his office.

The clock ticked by, counting down each long second as he waited with bated breath. . Sabo clenched his hands to avoid twiddling his fingers - he’d already been scolded for doing so not five minutes prior - and his entire body froze when two firm knocks on the front door echoed through the foyer.

This sent everyone into a flurry. Outlook III ordered a servant to prepare to open the door, but to wait three minutes before doing so - a classic tactic when a visitor was of a lower class to show them that they were not important enough to merit haste. Heart beginning to race, it skipped a beat when someone leaned onto the back of the loveseat. Turning in surprise, Sabo frowned and narrowed his eyes at the smug smirk of his step-brother.

"It's finally time. Ready to go be a pathetic commoner housewife like a good little omega?" he baited, but Sabo refused to rise to the jab, instead shutting his eyes and thinking over and over, _I can still say no, I can still say no, I can still say no,_ like a precious mantra that was the only lifeline to sanity he had left.

He was shocked from his thoughts, his head shooting up at the sound of a door opening and closing. It felt as though all of them could feel his leg trembling through the floor. Sabo was certain that he should stand and offer a polite greeting, but his legs would not obey and refused to move.

The man entering their house couldn't have stood out more amidst the noble family if he tried. Instead of a fancy suit, he had shown up to the important introductory meeting in a white tank-top, baring the crossed out box tattoos on his upper arms and allowing Sabo to see the muscle cording his arms from his time spent on a dock. His brown trousers had caramel suspenders hooking over strong shoulders that were pulled back with a forceful air of confidence.

All that exposed skin only enhanced the scent he could already feel pouring off of the alpha. 

Rob Lucci was undeniably an attractive man, with long dark hair that had waves even more pronounced than Sabo's and a goatee that drew attention to a sharp jaw, and Sabo had no idea if that made everything better or so much worse.

As if sensing his turmoil, a pair of cold blue-green eyes fell on him, and Sabo couldn't stop himself from ducking his head, biting his lip to temper the uncomfortable stirring in his stomach when he got a whiff of the alpha's scent. He looked up without lifting his head and saw those light eyes imperceptibly narrow, his arched brows adding a fierceness to them, and Sabo felt as though he’d failed a test he didn't know he was taking.

Hating that he was already a disappointment, Sabo forced himself to his feet and focused on keeping steady on each step that brought him closer to Lucci. It was then that he noticed that a white pigeon perched comfortably on Lucci’s shoulder. Sabo could only imagine how much his father would complain about its presence inside once the alpha left - any animal was a wild beast that belonged outside as far as the patriarch was concerned - though the bird was arguably dressed more for the occasion than its owner, with a miniature black tie hanging from its neck.

Outlook III’s face tightened when he saw that Sabo didn’t remain where he was like he was supposed to, but it slowly took on a purple tinge when Lucci turned away from him to give Sabo his full attention. With the hope of keeping his father from getting angrier - and lessening the chance of dealing with the consequences of that later - Sabo politely bowed and tilted his head to the side like an offering despite having to grit his teeth to do it without cringing.

Much to his surprise, instead of taking him up on the opportunity, Lucci lifted his hand and motioned for him to stop.

“Please, there’s no need.” His voice was...absolutely nothing like what Sabo would have expected. The high pitch shocked Sabo back up, and he couldn’t help the unintelligible sound that sprang from his throat when it was the bird that continued speaking. “You must be Sabo. I’m Rob L— I mean, my name is Hattori, and this is Rob Lucci.” The pigeon gestured to itself and the man respectively with its wing.

“I…” Sabo stammered for a moment, eyes flickering between the two, honestly unsure who he was supposed to address. Deciding to take a chance, he put on a smile and directed it at the pigeon, and his words flowed smoother. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hattori,” he shifted towards Lucci, “and you as well, Lucci.” Sabo could already see his father clenching from mortification at him addressing the animal first, the bitter scent of it making the hair on the back of Sabo’s neck stand on end, but he swore Lucci’s lips quirked up in mild approval.

To regain a semblance of control over the situation, Outlook III rose and joined them, releasing a heavy dose of pheromones to try and assert himself as the dominant alpha in the room. Sabo stiffened and fought the urge to curl into his shoulders, but Lucci didn’t even twitch, acting as though he didn’t notice. As they all stood there, Sabo was finally hit by how tall his match was. Having to tilt his head back to look him in the eyes - not that omegas were encouraged to do that anyway - he did find a bubble of amusement knowing how much it must irk Outlook III having to also look up at the commoner.

“So do we have an agreement?” suddenly asked Outlook III, and Sabo looked at him in confusion. There was a brief moment of silence where he could feel Lucci’s appraising stare.

“Yes,” Hattori replied, and there was a minute twitching of Outlook III’s eye before he grinned and clapped his hands together.

“Excellent! Shall we sit down to conclude all this?” he offered.

“Unfortunately, we cannot stay.” Part of Sabo wondered if the unapologetic tone was how Lucci felt or if Hattori had a legitimate opinion on the matter. Lucci held out a black briefcase he’d been carrying. “This is what we’d agreed upon in your letters. No need to stretch this matter out any longer.”

Letters?

A heavy stone dropped in Sabo’s gut as he realized something very important. At first Sabo had thought it odd that Didit would only order him a single suit, but it made more sense now. He didn’t need any more, because they only cared if he looked presentable during this first meeting.

Because this meeting was the first and last.

Because without ever meeting the man or informing Sabo, they’d already officially sealed the match.

A dull roaring in his ears distracted him from listening to his mother stepping in with an insincere request that he stay for tea, happy to play willing hostess now that she knew he wouldn’t stay. Distantly, he saw a brief flash of cash in the case when Outlook III opened it to be sure he wasn’t being cheated, no doubt suspicious of Lucci being able to afford the price.

Logically, Sabo knew it was normal, knew that it was traditional for the alpha to offer some sort of compensation to the family for taking their omega, but it drilled the feeling of a slave being sold deep into his heart. These prices weren’t always cash, sometimes land or resources or even company stock, but it’s not surprising Lucci wouldn’t have those to trade. Some dark part of him wondered how much he was truly worth in the eyes of his father.

Lost in the torrent of his thoughts, a sudden shout of his name jolted him back to reality where Outlook III was frowning at him and Lucci was watching him with a raised brow. It took a moment to realize he was being ordered to go upstairs and fetch his bags - which had already been packed by the servants while he was distracted.

Sabo moved without conscious thought, allowing his feet to lead the way to his room where, just as he’d been told, all of his things had been packed away. Or rather anything that his family didn’t want to keep, which essentially meant his clothes, and it was telling that it all fit within the two bags on his bed. A book on omega obedience was probably tucked away in there, too, and he had no personal effects - they were a distraction from his studies and he’d never been considered well-behaved enough to deserve them.

“You didn’t know you’d be leaving today.”

He jumped at the voice and spun around, subconsciously sliding his fingers through his hair to make sure it still fell where it needed to. He hadn’t heard a single sound to let him know that the alpha had followed him. Lucci’s hands were placed casually in his pockets while his eyes were observing the bars placed outside his windows with a palpable curiosity that he chose not to give voice to.

Remembering the presumption, Sabo carefully shook his head and admitted flatly, “No, I wasn’t aware.”

Lucci, or rather Hattori, said nothing for a moment, seeming to have a silent debate. Finally, they asked, “Would you like a minute?” Though the words sounded generous, even Hattori’s high voice couldn’t make the offer come across as genuine kindness. Instead it felt hollow, words that Lucci knew should be offered but came across distant in the absence of true empathy for his feelings.

Feeling emotionally drained by everything that had happened, Sabo’s answer was grabbing one of the bags and swinging it over his shoulder. “No. I just want to leave.”


End file.
